The Avant-Garde Architecture O

The Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei (I.M) is known as one of the greatest architects of the Twentieth Century. His long, brilliant career was highlighted by several internationally famous structures. While many of Pei's buildings were generally accepted by the public, some of them precipitated fair amounts of controversy. The most notable of these controversial structures is his Glass Pyramid at the entrance of the Louvre in Paris. For these reasons, I.M. Pei seems to be an architect who exhibits interest in the avant-garde through both the creative design and aestheticism of his architecture. Pei was born in China in 1917 and immigrated to the United States in 1935. He originally attended the University of Pennsylvania but grew unconfident in his drawing skills so he dropped out and pursued engineering at MIT. After Pei decided to return to architecture, he earned degrees from both MIT and Harvard. In 1956, after he had taught at Harvard for three years, he established I.M. Pei & Partners, an architectural firm that has been known as Pei Cobb Freed & Partners since 1989. This firm is famous for its successful and rational solutions to a variety of design problems. They are responsible for many of the largest pubic and private construction projects in the second half of this century. Some of these projects include the East Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., the John F. Kennedy Memorial Library in Boston, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. When French President Francois Mitterand "personally selected Mr. Pei in 1983 to design the Grand Louvre to give air, space, and light to one of the world's most congested museums," (Markham, 1989) there were many critics. The press "lambasted the idea of shattering the harmony of the Louvre's courtyard with a glass iceberg" (Markham, 1989). But Pei proceeded as planned, taking a major risk in creating a glass pyramid structure at the entrance. He did not focus on what the critics...

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Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English, to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics.
Avant-garde represents a pushing of the boundaries of what is accepted as the norm or the status quo, primarily in the cultural realm. The notion of the existence of the avant-garde is considered by some to be a hallmark of modernism, as distinct from postmodernism. Postmodernism posits that the age of the constant pushing of boundaries is no longer with us and that avant-garde has little to no applicability in the age of Postmodern art. However, this is not true in the case of music as many pieces are still being released which are generally considered Avant-garde in popular culture.
Working definition
The vanguard, a small troop of highly skilled soldiers, explores the terrain ahead of a large advancing army and plots a course for the army to follow. This concept is applied to the work done by small collectives of intellectuals and artists as they open pathways through new cultural or political terrain for society to follow.
The origin of the application of this French term to art is still debated. Some fix it on May 17, 1863, the opening of the Salon des Refusés in Paris, organized by painters...

...For Europe, the nineteenth century was an age of radical change. As science and technology challenged old views, political revolution challenged the old dominations of church and monarchy with the upheaval of the French Revolution of 1789, a sequence of revolution, counter-revolutions, and civil wars in Europe and America continued the assault upon established power. In a world that was experiencing a population explosion of extreme magnitude, revolution followed revolution, including the industrial revolution in which modern ideas of nationalism were born. This was an era in which patriotism and imperialism existed side by side.
Although modern sculpture and architecture are reckoned to have emerged at the end of the nineteenth century, the beginnings of modern painting can be located earlier. The date perhaps most commonly identified as marking the birth of modern art is 1863, the year that Édouard Manet exhibited his painting Le déjeuner sur l'herbe in the Salon des Refusés in Paris. Earlier dates have also been attributed to 1855, the year Gustave Courbet exhibited The Artist's Studio and 1784. the year Jacques-Louis David completed his painting The Oath of the Horatii.
Which one is right? Well, none of them are "wrong". (Here, it was simply a case of "1880" working out well, for me, in terms of organization.) For simplicity's sake, let's just say that Modern Art began in the 19th-century, and ran through a whole slew of "-isms" up until the end of...

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“Triumph of the avant-garde”
The term “avant-garde” was originally used in reference to the advancement of a military unit. In the late 18th century and into the 19th century, a movement began in art and architecture that was intended to do just that. Artists were beginning to move forward in their expression of ideas. They were trying new techniques, and testing the boundaries of what was acceptable. These avant-garde artists were beginning to challenge art itself and its very definition.
Up to his point, art was about expression, but the expression was limited by rules and governed by the very specific influences of period. For the purposes of success and acceptance, most artists up to this point conformed to the “norm”. Art was about making a specific product that was pleasing to the eye. But during the late 18th century, political and social changes were also changing the way artists were expressing themselves. New techniques were being introduced. In fact, much of art became less about the final product, and more about the technique and process itself. Artists were being less influenced by trends, and more influenced by the desire for social and political change.
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AvantGarde is often defined as a new expression that deviates from the cultural ‘norm,’ but that doesn’t tell us quite why we appreciate it. AvantGarde is a bit like poetry. It uses aesthetic, symbolic, artistic, or ambiguous content to evoke and signify meanings and feelings in addition to what is ostensibly interpreted. For example, in the case of films, rather than having information handed to the viewer on a platter of dialogue, the narrative is often delivered in a way that is not immediately apparent, but ultimately more meaningful. This symbolism is one AvantGarde technique amongst many. Two films, Being John Malkovich and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, will be critiqued and the AvantGarde sensibilities of both will be analysed.
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Studying Architecture
The first step in becoming an architect is earning a professional degree from a college or university that has an architecture program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). An accredited, professional degree from one of these programs is the most accepted way (and sometimes the only way) to satisfy U.S. registration boards’ education requirements. The type of degree you earn may also have an impact on whether you can become licensed in multiple jurisdictions.
To learn the other registration requirements, see Experience Through Internships and Architect Registration Examination.
Overview of Architectural EducationA degree in architecture provides the foundation in architectural knowledge and process.
The primary means of satisfying most U.S. registration boards’ education requirements is earning a professional degree from a program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). NAAB is the only agency authorized to accredit architecture programs in the United States. It is also a requirement for an NCARB Certificate, which facilitates reciprocity between registration boards.
Graduation from a NAAB-accredited program does not guarantee registration as an architect. You must also complete experience and examination requirements.
NAAB-Accredited Programs
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Bucoleon was one of the Byzantine palaces in Constantinople. It was probably built by Theodosius II in the 5th century.
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...﻿Context Page
Introduction 2
History of avant-garde 2-3
Avant-garde in fashion history 3
Contemporary fashion and avant-garde 3
Discussion of Suzaan Heyns’ autumn/ winter collection 4
Discussion of Stiaan Louws’s 2011 autumn/winter collection 4-5
Discussion of Black Coffee’s 2013 winter collection 5-6
Discussion of Laduma Ngxokolo’s 2012 autumn/winter collection 6-7
Discussion of Thabo Makhetha’s 2012 collection 7
Conclusion 7-8
List of Illustrations 9-13
List of References 14-15
What is avant-garde and how does it fit into South African contemporary fashion design? In order for one to determine if you are for or against avant-garde, and specifically in relations to South African avant-garde, one must first define avant-garde and explore the origin and history of the movement.
According to The Oxford Dictionary of Art, avant-garde is defined as ”a term originally used to describe the foremost part of an army advancing into battle (also called vanguard) and now applied to a group, particularly of artist, that considers itself innovative and ahead of the majority” (Chilvers, 2004:42). Avant-garde therefore refers to designs that are new, innovative and cutting edge.
South...

...Eleazar Fernandez
Professor Ella Rue
INTD 101 – 3
February 4th, 2013
Tokyo: A New Avant-Garde
On Saturday, February 2nd, I attended the Tokyo 1955-1970: A New Avant-Garde exhibition held at the Museum of Modern Art. Through different forms of media and art, the exhibit portrays the turbulent times and cultural evolution occurring in Japan. From the mid-1950s through the 1960s, Tokyo transformed itself from the capital of a war-torn nation into an international center, for arts, culture, and commerce, becoming home to some of the most important art being made at the time. At the end of World War II, many Japanese artists began moving away from traditional modes and concepts of art, although some traditionalists still lingered. From the 1950’s onward, the end of the war became an incentive for many avant-garde artists to come together and create new, contemporary art. Advocates of this movement were Kazuo Ohno (October 27, 1906 – June 1, 2010), Yukio Mishima (January 14, 1925 – November 25, 1970), and Nagisa Oshima (March 31, 1932 – January 15, 2013).
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